He was my great-uncle, the brother of my grandfather. He grew up in the East, but then moved out West to Las Vegas. He established a wonderful life for himself and had a beautiful family.

Ducky was one of those rare people who never said a bad thing about anyone. He was a happy-go-lucky guy, always cheerful and friendly, and you loved to be around him. He was such a darling.

Ducky and my grandfather were a lot alike. They were very similar in walk, talk, and appearance. One of the favorite stories to tell is the time when my granddad visited him in Las Vegas, and as he walked in the door, the dog spotted him and ran to greet him. The dog stopped short, darting looks between my grandfather, to Ducky, and then back again. Even the canine was confused!

Ducky was also my godfather, as well as great-uncle. I am here today mostly because of him. He moved to Las Vegas and settled there, and after my mom graduated from college and visited England, she thought she might like to see what it was like out west, since her uncle was already there. He provided her with a place to stay, and while there, she met my father. The rest is history.

This death is a crushing blow to our family. The man was physically very healthy, save for the fact that he smoked. And not only that, but he worked in the casinos, where there was lots of heavy smoking. So in other words, he would be among us now, had he not smoked or been in that environment.

Back when he was a young man, no one knew what smoking did to you. No one was aware of the dangers yet. After a serious bout with bronchitis as an adult, Ducky stopped smoking. It was too late though. The damage had been done.

The cancer developed, and spread from his lungs into his body. It was deemed inoperable, and his breathing deteriorated, keeping him on oxygen tanks. He had chemotherapy, and even went to a rehab center to try and regain strength. A few radiation treatments sapped what was left of his strength, however, and the end came quickly. A gentle, happy, and kind man was taken from us far too soon, all because of smoking.

Nowadays people are aware of the dangers, and should know to steer clear of tobacco. Please keep away from cigarettes. I don’t care how pretty the advertising is or how convincing it may seem, just do not believe it. They are no good.

I say this because I care, and because I mourn. Please heed the warning.